1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pictures and audio messages and more particularly to a picture frame with an audio message circuit in which one or more audio messages associated with displayed picture(s) are played upon touching the picture(s) or the frame, or in response to touching of a position sensitive device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to display pictures such as photographs of family members or momentous occasions or the like inside of a frame. The frame typically enhances the aesthetics of the displayed picture, provides protection for the picture and/or provides a suitable means for mounting or displaying the picture. Such ordinary frames, however, present a still picture only and do not have an audio message circuit as a part of the frame by which an audio message associated with the displayed picture is played upon touching the picture or the frame.
It is also known in the art to have greeting cards or the like such that when the greeting card is opened, prerecorded tonal music is played. Such prior art devices, however, do not provide a frame for the display of desired pictures, and further do not allow for an arbitrary audio message or messages such as the voice of a user to be activated when desired.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages and limitations of the prior art by providing a picture frame and accompanying audio message circuit such that one or more desired audio messages associated with one or more displayed pictures can be played upon the touching of the pictures or the frame. The present invention is particularly suited for integrated and low cost construction such that a picture frame with associated audio message capabilities is provided for displaying momentous or family photographs or for educational purposes.
When audio message playback is desired, a switch on the frame or under a protective cover for the picture (called a xe2x80x9cplatexe2x80x9d herein) is activated by touching. Under CPU control, digital information representing the desired audio message is retrieved from a memory device, which is subsequently converted to an analog signal and transmitted to a speaker which produces the desired audio message perceptible to a human. In other embodiments, multiple pictures and multiple messages are provided such that the user can touch a particular picture, or the switch associated with that picture, and an audio message corresponding to that picture is then played through the speaker.
In still other embodiments, a system is provided such that an image is captured electronically through a camera or the like. The electronic information representing the picture, and associated electronic information representing the audio message, is then transmitted over a suitable transmission medium such that it is remotely received. On the receiving end, a still picture is produced for insertion into the picture frame, and the received audio message is input into a voice message circuit. With these embodiments, the picture frame and voice message circuit of the present invention can be produced remotely from the origin of the picture and the audio message. Such embodiments have application, for example, for the remote delivery of a commemorative picture and message such as to a sick relative located in a far off location. All of this is accomplished in the prevent invention with an integrated and low cost construction, providing advantages not present in the prior art devices.
In still other embodiments, the frame may be formed as a geometric shape, with pictures positioned in various faces of the geometric shape, with playback of a particular message or messages associated with a picture positioned in a particular face initiated by touching of the particular picture/face. In still other embodiments, a position sensitive device, such as a touch screen is included in order to provide particular messages to be associated and stored at particular positions with respect to the displayed picture.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a picture frame with an audio message circuit in which one or more audio messages associated with a displayed picture are played upon the touching of the picture or the frame.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a picture frame with multiple pictures, with multiple audio messages associated with each of the displayed pictures, such that a user can initiate playback of an audio message associated with a particular picture by activating a switch associated with that particular picture.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a picture frame that can play an audio message with the audio message in the voice of a desired person.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a picture frame in which the audio message is programmable by the user.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a picture frame in which the audio messages are stored under CPU control such that the audio message playback can be initiated by touching switches on the frame or a switch associated with the picture itself. It is an object of this invention to provide a system for providing the picture to be inserted in the frame and the audio message to be stored in the audio message circuit remotely from the point at which the picture and audio message are generated.
Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a picture frame in form of a geometric shape, or a picture frame incorporating a position sensitive device.